Demountable showcase



March 27, 1951 1.. ROSELYN 2,546,564

DEMOUNTABLE SHOWCASE Filed Feb. 5 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet i IN V EN TOR.

L 50 n OSEL m A T TORNEY March 27, 1951 L. ROSELYN DEMOUNTABLE SHOWCASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 5, 1946 INVENTOR. LEO ROSE]. YN

A TTORNEV Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED IE KENT @FFHQE.

4 Claims.

The invention, in general, relates to merchandise display units and more particularly relates to an improved display case having enlarged visibility, enlarged space for reception of merchandise and yet being rugged and durable with features affording the protection of the contained merchandise from theft or from damage by accumulation of dust.

Heretofore, show case construction largely has been confined to the provision of relatively heavy bases, frames and studs or supports to which glass or other transparent panels are permanently fitted or affixed by means of cement or other relatively infusible adhesive. The foregoing type of construction has been applied both in the construction of small and large show cases, and is subject to a major disadvantage in that whenever a panel is broken or loosened from its supports it is necessary to remove the entire unit from service for repairing the damage at some remote repair shop usually taking hours to remove, repair and re-install in service. Oftentimes, because of faulty cements or adhesives, the panels of such more or less permanently built show cases become so loose in their fittings that increasing quantities of dust enter the cases thus seriously damaging or lessening the value of the goods on display therein.

A primary object of my invention is to provide a dust-proof, tamper-proof, tight-fitting and durable show case having demountable features for readily disassembling and reassembling the unit at will and with dispatch.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved show case of the indicated nature which is additionally characterized by its enlarged visibility, enlarged display space for contained merchandise and yet is rugged, durable and inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved show case of the aforementioned character which affords ready and facile demountability of one or more of its panels or other parts at will.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved demountable show case of the indicated nature affording simple and inexpensive means for rendering the case tamper-proof.

The foregoing and other objects are attained in a preferred and certain modified embodiments of my invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that I am not to be limited to the precise embodiments shown, nor to the precise arrangement of the several parts of such. embodiments,

4% as my invention, as defined in the appended claims, can be embodied in a plurality and variety of forms.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of my invention, as exemplified in a generally rectangular display case.

Figure 2 is a broken transverse sectional elevational view of the embodiment of my invention shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a broken longitudinal sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as exemplified in a case having an obliquely disposed panel.

Figure 4 is a broken elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of the rim strip and panel support ing post basic structure forming elements of the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Figure 5 is a sectional detail of a typical panel supporting post for aligned panels, in juxta-position, in the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary development of the preferred embodiment of my invention illustrating the demountability of the same.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail, partly in section, and partly in elevation, of certain elements of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a locking element employed in the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 9 is a detailed sectional view illustrating the locking element in operative position.

Figure 10 is a sectional detail showing a type of panel cushioning means applicable to a panel post and top frame in the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as exemplified in a display case provided with a slanting panel.

Figure 12 is a broken, transverse sectional elevational View illustrating another type of cushioning means applied to the panel supporting posts forming a part of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 13 is a sectional detail illustrating the preferred mode of applying panel cushioning means to a panel supporting post in the preferred embodiment of my invention.

In its preferred form, the demountable show case of my invention preferably comprises a base in which a plurality of transparent side and end panels are mounted, a closure frame on one side of said base, a plurality of relatively narrow panel supporting posts detachably secured to said base at th junctures of adjacent panels; said posts bein adapted rigidly but releasably to support said panels in upright positions, together with a continuous channelled rim strip removably seated on the tops of said side and end panels and on closure frame, a transparent lid removably seated on'said rim strip, means for locking said posts, said panels, said rim strip and said lid securely together, and a door movably mounted in said closure frame for gaining access to the interior of th case.

A illustrated particularly in Figures 1, 2, 6 and 7 of the annexed drawings, I provide a suitably shaped base ii in my improved demountable now case which includes an outer rim l 2 defining legs for the case and a flat, horizontally disposed bottom l3 so out or formed as to provide a continuous groove it around the perimeter thereof between the rim l2 and the bottom l3 for the reception of the case panels. At the back of the base i l, and preferably integral therewith, I provide an upright closure frame 15 which is so formec. as to provide therein a groove l adj acent each end thereof for receiving the ends of the side case panels and also to provide a cut-away portion at the top thereof to furnish a seat I! for the removable lid strip of the case, as well as grooves l3 and It, see Figure to accommodate movable doors 2! and 22 for gaining access to the case. Of course, the continuous groove It may be cut to any width and depth to accommodate any desired thickness and weight of transparent panels provided for the display unit. While I preferably fabricate the base I! and its integral closure frame is from wood, these elements can bemade from plastic or other suitable materials capable of being grooved and shaped.

In accordance with my invention, as exemplifled in a. generally rectangular-shaped show case depicted in Figure l of the drawings, I provide a relatively long front transparent panel 2t, and a pair of side transparent panels 2? and 28 as well as a top transparent panel 29 for the case. The front panel 26 is preferably removably supported in upright position by means of a portion of the continuous groove i l of the base II as well as by means of a portion of a removable lid strip 35, more particularly hereinafter described, and by means of panel supporting corner posts :2 and 33 also more particularly hereinafter described. The side panels 27 and 2B of the case are removably supported in upright positions by portions of the continuous groove is of the base i l, by portions of the removable lid strip 35, and by the corner posts 32 and 33 as well as by the grooves 56 formed in the closure frame I5 of the base H. Preferably, all of the transparent panels as, 21, 28 and 29 are fabricated of clear glass of uniform thin section.

To the end that the improved show case of the present invention will have increased visibility, the preferred embodiment of my invention is provided with relatively narrow panel supporting posts which are as few in number as ruggedness and rigidity will permit. In the rectangularshaped case depicted in Figure l of the drawings, but two panel supporting posts are required and these are the corner posts 32 and 33 which are securely fastened not only to the base H but to the lid strip 35. In the pentagon-shaped case depicted in Figure 3 of the drawings, three panel supporting posts are required of which one is a corner post and two are posts provided between the obliquely disposed panel 26a. and the front panel 26 and side panel 2?. In general, the corner posts 32 and 33 as well as the lid strip 31 are formed substantially similar although the corner posts are augmented with lip flanges hereinafter mentioned for removably securing such posts to the lid strip and to the base. The general formation of the lid strip 3! and the corner posts 32 and 33 is depicted in Figure 4 of the drawings, while View of Figure '7 shows the lip flanges on the corner posts, above mentioned. With particular reference to Figures 4 and 7, it will be observed that the lid strip 3! and corner posts 32 and 33 are fabricated of relatively thin section material, preferably bendable metal such as sheet steel, bronze, brass, stainless steel or other suitable metal, and that each strip and post is so formed as to provide a channel section 34 of which one side 38 thereof extends at a right angle to base 3? while the other side 38 thereof also extends at a right angle to base 3'? but is turned upon itself to form a flange 38a. The base 3'! and sides 536 and 33 of the channel section 35 of the strip or corner posts define a channelfor the reception of the end of a panel, and the in turned flange 38a of side 33 affords a resilient seat for the panel within the channel of the strip or post. The side 38 of the channel sec;- tion 36 of the strip or post is extended at substantially a right angle to provide a lateral, integral member which also is turned upon itself to provide out-turned flange 39a. The exterior of the side 35 and the exterior of the lateral member 39 of the strip or post afford seats for the end of another or adjacent panel, and by reason of the out-turned flange sea on lateral member 39, the latter affords a resilient seat for such adjacent panel. Thus, the lid strip 3i and the corner posts 32 and 33 are so formed as to provide seats for two adjacent panels disposed at right angles to one another, such as the panels 25 and 21, or the panels 25 and 28 of the rectangular-shaped display case depicted in Figure l of the drawings.

In order to eliminate all possibility of chipping or cracking of panels at the ends thereof, I provide cushioning means for the lid strip 3! and the corner posts 32 and 33, as well as all other panel supporting posts of the improved case. To this and as illustrated in Figure 13 of the accompanying drawings, felt flocking is applied, preferably by means of spraying, to those portions of the surfaces of the posts 3| which are engaged by the panels; such felt flocking being indicated in Figure 13 by the dotted lines and being sprayed onto the metal after the latter has been treated with an adhesive sizing.

An alternative panel cushioning means is. il lustrated in Figure 10 of the accompanying drawings wherein I have depicted the top panel 29, in fragmentary, dotted line showing, in position seated against the side and on the laterally eX- tending member of the rim strip 3!, with an intervening strip ll of fabric, such as felt, adhesively fastened to the exterior surfaces on such side and lateral extending member. As shown, the exposed extremity of the fabric strip ll initially is permitted to depend from the rim strip and when an adjacent panel, such as the side panel 2%: or 2?, not shown in this View, is placed into position within the channel section of the strip the depending extremity E2 of the fabric strip 5! will be pushed within the channel section of the strip 3i between the panel and the rim strip 3 i. This same alternative cushioning means can be applied to the corner and other panel supporting posts of the case. The cushioning effect of the fabric 4|, plus the resilient seats afforded by the flanges 38a and 39a of the rim strip 3| as well as the corner and other supporting posts, will protect the transparent panels from likelihood of chipping or cracking.

Each of the corner posts 32 and 33, as well as other panel supporting posts hereinafter described, is provided with convenient means for removably fastening the posts to the base I I and to the lid strip 3 I. To this end, the lateral member 39 of the corner posts 32 and 33, is out-turned at its longitudinal extremities to provide lips 43 which are formed with a suitable hole for passing screws d5 whereby the posts may be removably attached to the base if and the strip 3!, the latter conveniently being provided with suit able holes Bid at the corners for accommodating the screws 45.

It is to be observed that, other than the one corner post, the panel supporting posts for the pentagon-shaped display case depicted in Figure 3 of the drawings are differently constructed and this is likewise true with respect to display cases of my present improvement having a relatively long front wherein I provide two rather than one front transparent panels with an intermediate panel supporting post between the two aligned front panels, as indicated in Figure 5 of the drawings. In the case of the pentagon-shaped embodiment of my invention depicted in Figure 3, I provide in addition to the front transparent panel 25 and the side panels 23 and 28, an obliquely disposed upright transparent panel 26a intermediate the side panel 2'! and the front panel 2'5. To the end that such obliquely disposed panel 25a be properly supported, two similar panel supporting posts 32b are provided at the junctures of panel 25a with the front panel 25 and the side panel 27; each of the panel supporting posts 32b preferably comprising a retainer member 55 and a retained member 52 which are fabricated from bendable sheet metal, such as sheet steel. The retainer membr 5! is so formed as to provide opposed webs 53 and 55 having their extremities inturned to afford resilient sides of oppositely facing channels in which the adjacent ends of panels 25 and 26a are received. The retained member 52 of each of the panel. supporting posts 321) preferably is so formed from bendable metal as above described, to provide a substantially straight or flat portion terminating in an angul rly disposed element 58 at one extremity thereof which is adapted to be wedge-fitted into the inturned web 54 of the retainer member 5i of the post 32?), while the other extremity of the retained member 52 is turned upon itself to afford a resilient seat for the panels 26 and 26a; such seats 51 of members 52 constituting the remaining sides of the oppositely facing channels above mentioned into which the adjacent ends of panels 26 and 25a are received when the case is set up. Integral, laterally extending lips 58, provided with a hole for passing a screw 59, are formed on the top and bottom of the retained member 52 of the post 32b in order that such posts may be detachably secured to the bottom I3 of the base H, as well as the rim strip 3 l, and it is to be understood that the shapes of the retainer member 5| and retained member 52 are such that the webs 53 and 54 of member 5! will parallel the panels 2 3 and 26a when the posts 321) are set up and that the extremity of seat 51' of retained member 52 will span the gap between the two panels 25 and 26a, as illustrated in Figure 3. It is of course to be understood that the panel supporting posts 32, 32a and 321) are all cut or stamped to equal lengths.

In Figure 5 of the drawings, I have illustrated a modified embodiment of panel supporting post 32a for use in connection with a display case of my improvement having a relatively long front and wherein two adjacently disposed and aligned front panels 26 and Eli are provided. The panel supporting post 32a is substantially the same construction as the post 321) in that it comprises a retainer member 6! and a retained member 82, with the retainer member formed from a single strip of bendable metal that is shaped to provide a straight back portion with inturned extremities 83 and 6-! affording resilient sides of oppositely facing channels in which the adjacently disposed panels 25 and 2% are received. The retained member 62 is preferably also formed from a single strip of bendable metal and comprises a straight portion terminating at one extremity in a lateral element extending at a right angle to the straight portion; such lateral element 65 being adapted to be wedge-fitted into the inturned extremity 5 3 of the retainer memher (it, While the other extremity 6? of the straight portion of retained member 62 extends in both directions at substantially right angles to the straight portion to provide the remaining sides of above-mentioned channels in which the adjacent ends of panels 2% and 25' are received when the case is set up. The extremity 6? of retained member 62 of the panel supporting post 32a is so formed as to provide a laterally extending lip 68 on both longitudinal extremities thereof, which lips 68 are formed with holes therein for passin screws 59 for detachably fastening the post 32a to the bottom I3 of the base II and the rim strip 35 of the case.

The improved demountable di play case of the present invention includes means rendering the case tamper-proof and incapable of disassombly except by those rightfully having access to the interior of the case. The tamper-proof means that I preferably provide is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 of the annexed drawings and comprises a clip ll so stamped from a sheet of bendable metal as to afford therein an angularshaped channel 12 which includes seats 73 therein for reception of the top transparent panel 29 of the case, and also providing a depending skirt "M thereon which is adapted to be turned back under the rim strip 3!. One of these clips ll is slipped over the panel 29, at each of its four corners, before the panel 29 is seated on the lid strip. Thereafter, each of the clips H is placed in operative position to render the case tamper-proof by inserting the hand into the case and bending back the skirt it of each clip so that it will underlie the lower or inner side of the strip 3! and bear against the same. To release the latching eifect of the clips H for the purpose of disassembling the case, it is only necessary to reach within the case and bend the skirts M thereof downward to the dotted line position indicated in Figure 9 of the drawings.

A modification of the present invention is i1- lustrated in Figure 11 of the drawings wherein I have depicted my improvement as exemplified in a case having a slanting front panel I26. To the end that the slanting panel is properly supported, the lid strip 3| is modified only to the extent of extending one side or arm 38 thereof at an oblique angle rather than at a right angle as in the case of the lid strip construction for the modification shown in Figures 1 to 10 inclusive. Similarly, the corner posts 32 and 33, as Well as any intermediate panel supporting posts that may be provided, such as the posts 32a and 3212, are also slightly modified so that the channel portions thereof will accommodate the inclina tion of the slanting front panel I25 and the disposition of the posts arranged also to correspond to the slanting of such front panel of the case.

It is to be understood that the appended claims are to be accorded a range of equivalents commensurate in scope With the advance made over the prior art.

I claim:

1. A demountable show case com-prising a base, a closure frame on the back of said base and extending normal thereto, movable doors mounted in said closure frame for opening and closing the case, a plurality of transparent panels remova'bly mounted on said base, a lid strip removably seated on the top of said panels and on the top of said closure frame, a top transparent panel removably seated on said lid strip, and locking means comprising a plurality of clips With bendable depending skirts on said top panel for latchthe case against disassembly unless access to the interior thereof is gained through said doors; said skirts of said clips being adapted to be bent to bring the same into bearing engagement with the inner side of said lid strip.

2. In a tamper-proof demountable show case including a panel and a lid strip, a locking clip at the juncture of the panel and the lid strip comprising a stamping having an angular-shaped channel formed therein, and a depending bendable skirt thereon; said skirt being adapted to be bent back upon itself to clamp the clip in operative position over the top of the panel and bottom of a lid strip.

3. A tamper-proof demountable show case comprising a base, a plurality of transparent panels extending normal to said base and ar=- ranged in juXta-position, a panel supporting post at the junctures of adjacently disposed panels, a channeled lid strip fitted to the tops. of said panels, a seat on said lid strip, a closure frame on said base and extending normal thereto and spanning the exposed ends of said panels; said closure frame having grooves therein for removably receiving the exposed ends of said panels, movable doors mounted in said closure frame for opening and closing the case, and a locking clip on said top panel for locking the case against disassembly by clamping the top panel to said lid strip Within the case.

4. A demountable show} case comprising a base, a plurality of panels resting on and standing normal to said base, a channelled lid strip fitting the tops of said panels, a top panel removably seated on said lid strip, channelled posts disposed between said plurality of panels and extending normal to said base for retaining said panels in juXta-position, and locking means fitted between said lid strip and the tops of said plurality of panels; said locking means being bendable and being adapted to be bent into engagement With said lid strip.

LEO ROSELYN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

